The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux was one of the creepy classics I read and reviewed a few years ago. (See the review here.) I had to reread the review to remember aspects of the book--which is completely pathetic on my part. Jeez. Anyway, about the only thing I do recall vividly is the phantom, Erik. I thought what made this book a classic was the Phantom. Sure there were romantic fantasies and love triangles but in truth, Erik sparked the most intrigue. His morose nature, vengeful spirit, passion for music, and love for Christine not to mention his dark underground world was so utterly appealing, it's no wonder Hollywood has chosen to retell this story time and time again.

The classic black and white silent film, Phantom of the Opera, debuted in 1925 and featured one of the best portrayals of classic monsters ever known to Hollywood. Lon Chaney, took the character of the original and launched it into a iconic stratosphere of eternally gruesome classic monsters. Chaney was known as "The Man of a Thousand Faces," for his ability to transform his face with makeup. He really was a chameleon and his techniques and characters are still marveled today. To see his transformation to characters like the Phantom and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, it's extraordinary. When asked about his makeup ability, he was quoted "It's an art, but not magic"

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Have you read or scene Phantom of the Opera? Did you have another idea for the letter P?

I've never read the book, but I know the story through Lloyd Webber. Lon Chaney really had the creep factor - I think as well as the makeup, it was the power in his eyes that gave him the edge.SophieSophie's Thoughts & Fumbles - A to Z GhostsFantasy Boys XXX - A to Z Drabblerotic

This is when having a memory for books comes in handy. It's been about 15 years since I read Phantom of the Opera, and I loved it, although it really dragged through the middle-endish portion. I was totally obsessed with Phantom for a long time. Seriously, can you find a more beautiful musical? (Just the music, not the message.) I had all kinds of respect for Andrew Lloyd Weber too, until I learned his secret. He stole most the melodies from old operas. And suddenly it makes sense. *sigh* Of course I love it for the music--it comes from some of the best musical minds throughout the last 300 years!